Pakistan protests NATO airstrikes

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Monday strongly protested NATO airstrikes that killed dozens in the tribal region along its Afghan border, a stronghold for Islamist militants, warning of a “response” to such attacks in future.

“These incidents are a clear violation and breach of the UN mandate under which ISAF (the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force) operates,” Abdul Basit, a foreign ministry spokesman, said.

“The said mandate ‘terminates/finishes’ at the Afghanistan border. There are no agreed ‘hot pursuit’ rules. Any impression to the contrary is not factually correct. Such violations are unacceptable,” Basit said.

“ISAF/NATO has been asked not to participate in any military action that violates the UN mandate and infringes upon Pakistan’s sovereignty,” he continued, warning that in the absence of “immediate corrective measures”, Pakistan would be forced to consider “response options”.

NATO helicopters first crossed into Pakistani territory Friday while pursuing alleged militants who had attacked an outlying military post in Afghanistan’s Khost province.

A statement from ISAF said that more than 30 suspected militants died in the aerial attack, which was followed by another strike Saturday. A second NATO helicopter attack killed several alleged insurgents, the ISAF said.

There was some confusion about the number of attacks. A Pakistani security official in Kurram tribal district claimed that two NATO helicopters also conducted an air-raid Monday morning.

Mehboob Khan, an official at the office of the top civil administrator in Kurram, said that the helicopters had attacked a checkpoint set up by a local peace militia to stop fighting between Shia and Sunni Muslims in Kurram district at around 5 a.m. (0000 GMT).

“Five people died in the attack,” said Khan. “They were not Taliban militants. All of them belonged to noble tribal families.”

But the Pakistani Foreign Ministry mentioned only two NATO helicopter attacks.

Pakistan’s tribal region is believed to be a stronghold for Taliban and Al Qaeda militants suspected of regular cross-border raids on NATO forces in Afghanistan.

The US has carried out dozens of missile attacks by unmanned drone aircrafts in the region since 2008, killing thousands of people, including many alleged Al Qaeda and Taliban operatives.

Though Pakistan has previously condemned these attacks analysts believe Pakistani intelligence agents are secretly assisting the CIA to identify possible targets for missile strikes.

The violations by manned NATO jet fighters and helicopters have decreased since 2001 when Pakistan joined the international alliance against terrorism.

Also Monday, a US drone fired two missiles at a house in the Khushali Toorikhel area in North Waziristan tribal district.

“The attack took place at the house of a Taliban supporter. Two people were killed,” said an intelligence official who spoke on condition of anonymity.